New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-12-06
THE NEW CITY BUILDING.
A SCHEME TO AID THE DEMOCRATS.
THEY WANT A BIG JOB on HAND IN THE PREsI-
DENTAL YEAR.

THEY WANT A BIG JOB OK HAND IN THE PREsI-
DENTAL YEAR.
The scheme to erect couple OF" wings between the
City Hall and the County Court House is moving along
with sufficient rapdity to be Of great TO the local
Democracy IL next years campaign. 1t Is plan to
obtain only the criminal house winch the
Legislature authorized last May, but also to obtain the
municipal building which the Legislature declined TO
authorize The sinking Fund Commissioners, while
obeying the letter OF the act making it cover much
more ground than the Legislature intended For years
the city has been conducting s affairs under great dis
advantages Its criminal have had no adequate
accommodations. Their vastly increasing business mas
accumulated. Thousands of bailed criminals are at
large the facilities for trying them wanting
Judge has been added to the criminal bench, and
but for the ecctment from tho brown stone building OF
the Tax Office he would have had no room IN which to
hold The District Attorneys offices are r1wded
and barren OF all comfort and mseraby adapted to his
The carting OF prisoners back and forth from the
rombs TO tho Court House is expensive These facts
presented fully to the Legislature last year. ana
1t was represented that the property used as rail-
road station In Centre ST. adjoining the ronlos. was
already owned by the city, and could therefore no
utilized readily, and that there already money
enough the treasury pay the greater part OF the er
pense of new building, the referred To being some
thing $l0O0OOO which had been recovered by the
city from the Tweed.thieves.
Statements OF this character. touched the legislative
heart BY a large majority the Legislature was Republic
can and despite the fact That il not good politics TO
give the Den Ocratc factions here an opportunity to
handle any big jobs I'm Preside tia year, the Legs
laue felt itself bound give the Iubic service of New
York every facility that II could properly demand Upon
any satisfactory assurance that the authorization TO
pu up court house adjoining the romhs would not be
used rs n political job to get Democratic votes In
National campaign the Legislature willing to give
the necessary permission 1t was not willing though 10
go into the erection OF great public buildings 100
stccply. IL considered at time enough The re-
quest OF the city officials for permission TO erect two
t llings ono a., the Tombs to be used ~ a criminal
court house. and the second In City Hall Park to be used
for city Offices denied II agreed that the court
house should be built but that the munic pal buildings
act should be dropped
In this shape the scheme went through the LeSts-
ature gave the sinking Fund Commission. composed
OF the Mayor tho Controller. the recorder, the city
Chamberlain and the On tirnan ofthe Finance Committee
of the Board OF Aldermen authority 10 erect building
Tor the use OF the criminal courts and the prosecuting
officer. such other officials could he adequately
accommodated within IT, limits upon land Owned hy
the city. the understanding at Albany a. to the
purpose OF the act clear, but when the legislature
Adjourned the Democratic officials here begln to act In
way that Indicated the presence OF hidden nut cunning
African in the fence The hill drawn a. 10 admit
oi the specified building being erected IN the city Han
Park - well down by the Tombs. The city Hall was
as much public property the old depot alongside OF
land they found it amazingly soft IL wouldn't bear
the foundations Of big building At all II was 30 SOFT
that with ordinary shovel could dix -isht through
China. There ui.ht Ice those who would regard mis-
assertion with doubt even suspicion ami who would
point 10 the Tomhs tIcraby substantial building
and that seemed doing fairly we'll where II was
But OF these people. 50 Tar ~ appc.tc'i ""fH
engineers employed by cts officials vino d4nt want me
Centre S. building but vino did want ono iu TIC lily
Ran Park. Ia view oi the engineers report inc centre
-. plan abandoned. AMI grouni pan Tor 40
colossal to ON from the tlig Han toward inc
County Court House devised This Is now before
the ~uKiug Fund Commission. In answer Q" ia" COM
plant tina: these wings VIII ruin tho arh and make E"
buildings now fhcic gty. committee oi architects
Is hc appointed That complaint i 10 De referred to
them. aud IL confidently thought 10y city officials VINO
favor tAe scheme that they Will show II 20 ne totally
ungrouded Il g. f0rchy argued that n committee 81
engineers able 10 prove that Centre - j. sinking III
toward China, there should be no great obstacle IN 10"
way o. committee OF architects proving That those
proposed vii be architectural ornaments and
elements Of beauty 10 tho park II !. Thought therefore,
that tnc building viii ne ready for Use - uctn'
OF promoting Democratic Victory In lN-- AMI The @hern
vii continue 10 make hlg fees 10y Juggling accused yer
sons TO and from the Tomhs